As the days start to get ever-so-slightly shorter and the inclination to return to sociable afternoons, in-person meetings, and the odd spot of well-deserved indulgence begins to rear its head once more, so enters the peak season for a good set lunch menu.
A set lunch is the perfect combination of efficiency and treat: a way to test out a long-craved restaurant at a snip of the à la carte price, and without the need to write off the rest of your afternoon (unless you want to stretch it out – in which case, be our guest…). As Quo Vadis’ suitably cheeky website bumph states: “The vicissitudes of modern life mean we are often strapped for time, or indeed cash. Yet must that condemn us to a life without the finer things?”
Here at The Blend, we say a resounding “No”, and thankfully, right now, many of London’s beloved restaurants are awash with excellent offerings – from heritage favourites to Michelin menus and more. Below, we round up a selection of the city’s best.
Brunswick House
Lunch doesn’t come in much grander surrounds than Brunswick House. A restaurant set in the heart of a nearly-300-year-old Georgian mansion just down the road from Vauxhall station, Brunswick’s decor might be antique, but its menu is always fresh thanks to celebrated chef Jackson Boxer. Their set lunch is exceptionally good value, and prioritises produce-driven, seasonal modern British and European plates. Currently, that includes dishes such as roasted leeks with sourdough and belly of pork with puy lentils and mustard. London’s most extravagant bargain? Almost certainly.
Cost: Two courses £15, three courses £19
Available: Weds-Fri, 12pm-2.30pm
Quo Vadis
Currently toasting its 100th year with a suitably celebratory roster of guest chefs and special events, there’s no better time to embrace the charms of Soho institution, Quo Vadis. An old-school, effortlessly chic place to step away from the bustle of central London and into a space where time stands temporarily still, beloved chef-proprietor Jeremy Lee has brought back the Soho Set as an accessible entry point. The menu will change with the seasons, but currently includes smoked mackerel pate with toast, and pork fillet with onions and sage. It’s also available as an early-dinner menu, too.
Cost: Two courses £30; three £35
Available: Mon-Sat 12pm-2.20pm, 5pm-6.15pm and 9pm-10pm
Noble Rot
With three branches in Mayfair, Soho and the City each serving different set menus, you could happily spend half your working week lunches at Noble Rot without ever getting bored. A wine bar as much as a restaurant, its dishes are at their best when paired with a grape but of course the tipples are optional: with head chefs ex of Perilla (Mayfair), The Sportsman (City) and The Ledbury (Soho), you don’t need to be tipsy to appreciate their constantly changing menu of French-influenced, modern European fare. Think: roast chicken with creamed spinach and mustard, and guinea fowl thigh.
Cost: Two courses £24, three £28
Available: Daily, 12pm - 2.30pm
Galvin La Chapelle
In celebration of their recent crowning as Best Restaurant at City AM’s Toast Awards, Michelin-starred Spitalfields gem Galvin La Chapelle are offering their Toast & Taste menu until the end of the month: a splash of decadent fine dining, with four courses plus a glass of sparkling rosé for under £50. As you’d expect from an award-winning establishment, the service is impeccable, while their set menu bridges the gap between classic and modern with highlights including a delicate brick pastry with truffled ricotta and honey ‘snack’ to start, and a rich slow-cooked fallow deer main. For a supplementary extra, try their Baba au Tiramisu: a two-person dessert for sharing that’s doused and set on fire at the table for extra pizazz.
Cost: Four courses plus a glass of bubbles £49, plus optional supplementary extras
Available: Until February 24th, 12pm - 9pm
Bubala
If you’re trying to unite a table full of varying dietary requirements, then look no further than plant-based paradise Bubala. Vegetarians and vegans will be in heaven, while their Middle Eastern menu is so flavour-packed that even dyed-in-the-wool carnivores will come out happy. At lunch, they serve a sharing mezze set that provides a potted tour through their à la carte menu. An impossibly smooth hummus and laffa bread vie for stomach space with smacked cucumbers, crispy confit potato latkes, an unctuous block of halloumi with hot honey and plenty more. Come hungry, leave needing to undo your top button.
Cost: £27pp until February 13th, then regular price (around £32pp)
Available: Weekdays, 12pm-3pm
The Devonshire
If the hordes of eager drinkers spilling out onto the street and supping Guinness on any given evening are anything to go by, the pull of The Devonshire isn’t losing its magnetism any time soon. You’ll still have to be quick off the mark to secure a booking, but when you do, their set menu is a delicious entry point to their classic British cuisine. This is comfort food par excellence: a prawn cocktail elevated with langoustines, or steak with hefty duck fat chips. And it’d be rude not to add a pint of the black stuff – after all, as the saying goes, it’s good for you.
Cost: Two courses £25, three £29
Available: Mon-Sat 12pm-10pm
Arlington
Opened in 2024 at the site of beloved St. James mainstay and celeb hangout Le Caprice, Jeremy King's Arlington operates with a similar laissez-faire decadence in mind. It’s a place for lunchtime drinking (preferably a martini) and turning off your email notifications, which is possibly why their set menu is available on weekends when you can really embrace the spirit of the place and leave any thoughts of work at the door. Don’t go expecting anything too avant-garde; Arlington serves classics such as a shallot tart with goat’s cheese or a fillet of pollock with romesco. But for a touch of glamour and an excellent vibe, Arlington knows exactly what it’s doing.
Cost: Two courses £21, three £24.75
Available: Sat-Sun, 11.30am-3pm
Albers
De Beauvoir neighbourhood restaurant Albers calls their set offering a Workers Lunch. If that all sounds a bit frugal and functional, then worry not: you’ll head back to your desk having enjoyed a quietly indulgent main and a glass of house wine to keep you going for the rest of the afternoon. Plates are pretty and modern; the space is bright and open. With a current trio of selections including the deceptively simple sausage, tomato and beans, or squash, ricotta and celery chutney, Albers is an affordable, elevated yet unfussy option for an end-of-week treat.
Cost: One course and a glass of wine £16
Available: Thurs-Fri 12pm-3pm